Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus.



H. S. BEAKES.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1914- Pat-nted Oct. 31,1916.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD S. IBEAKES, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH &; SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BAILWAY-TBAFFIC-CONTBOLLING APPARATUS.

Specification oi Letters Patent.

Application filed January 14, 1914. Serial No. 811,995.

T all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, HOWARD S. BEAKES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Trafiic-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway trafiic controlling apparatus, and articularly to electromagnetic apparatus or controlling railway trafiic controlling devices.

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view showing a railway switch together with one form of apparatus embodying my invention for the control thereof.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a railway switch, which is actuated by an electric motor D through the medium of a suitable actuating mechanism F.

P designates power mains comprising wires 11 and 12, which mains are supplied with current from a source 10, here shown as being a. battery, and from which mains current is supplied to the motor D by means of a suitable operating circuit. The operating circuit is controlled by an electromagnetic device G, located preferably .adjacent the switch A, which device is governed by a control circuit which includes contacts operated by a manually operable lever C, usually one of a plurality of similar levers in an interlocking machine.

The switch operating mechanism F, in the form here shown, may be briefly described as follows: Operatively connected with the armature 13 of motor D is a screw 15 which coacts with a longitudinally movable nut 16. This nut is rigidly connected with a plate 18 provided with a cam slot 20, which latter coacts with a roller or stud 17 this roller or stud drives a bar 19 connected with the movable rails of switch A. It will be seen that rotation of the armature 13 in first one direction and then the other causes reciprocation of the plate 18, and that reciprocation of this plate causes reciprocation of the bar 19 and consequently of the switch rails. The

plate 18 carries four cams 30, 31, 54, and 57,

which actuate respectively circuit control- 1mg contacts 32, 33, 52 and 53 for purposes hereinafter explained.

The lever C, as here shown, is of a usual and well known type comprising a shaft 70 which is adapted to be oscillated manually by a handle 7 0 and which operates contacts 21, 22, 25 and 26. The contacts 21 and 22 constitute a pole-changer for reversing the direction of current in a winding of the electromagnetic device G as hereinafter explained. The movements of the shaft 70 are governed by return indication devices K and K each of which comprises a segment 27 mounted rigidly upon the shaft 70 and provided with a dog 28 which engages with a latch 29 operatively connected with the armature of an electromagnet N or R. Each of these electromagnets is provided with a circuit which is controlled by contacts 25 and 26 and by a polarized relay Q, as hereinafter explained. Contacts 25 and 26 are not moved during the first portion of the movement of the shaft 70 up to the point at which it is stopped by the dogs 28 but during the remainder of the movement of the shaft the contacts 25 and 26 are reversed in position. This operation of contacts 25 and 26 is obtained, as here shown, by mounting the contacts loosely on the shaft 70, and by Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

moving them by pins 73, 74, 75 and 76 carried by disks 71 and 72 fastened to the.

shaft 70.

The electromagnetic device G comprises an electromagnet 2, a polarizing winding 3, and an armature 4 polarized by the winding 3 and controlled by the electromagnet 2. The winding 3 is preferably provided with a hard steel core or bar 23 by meansof which the armature 4 is polarized at such times as winding 3 is not carrying current, as hereinafter explained. The armature 4 will hereinafter be termed the polarized armature. In the construction as here shown, the electromagnet 2 comprises two soft iron cores 2 joined by a soft iron back strap 9, each core being provided as usual with a winding 2 and with a soft iron pole-piece 5 or 5. One end of the hard steel core 23 is fixed in the back strap 9 which latter is extended downwardly for the purpose, and the polarized armature 4 is pivotally mountedin the other end of this core to swing freely between pole-pieces 5 and 5 Operatively connected with armature 4 are two contacts 95 and 96 which control the supply of operating current from the mains P to the motor D, and a third contact 24 employed for a purpose hereinafter explained.

Fixed to the pole-pieces 5 and 5 are brackets 34 and 34 of non-magnetic material in which is journaled an armature 6 which is adapted'to be attracted by the polepieces 5 and 5*}, and which is biased away from these pole-pieces by a counterweight 35. This armature, which I will hereinafter term the neutral armature, operates two contacts 45 and 49, the former of which controls the circuit of motor D and the latter of which is employed for a purpose hereinafter explained. The neutral armature 6 is provided with a lug 7 which coacts with a finger 8 of non-magnetic material fixed to polarized armature 4 to lock the latter armature in one or the other of its extreme positions when neutral armature 6 is in its raised position. When armature 6 is attracted to the polepieces, the finger 8 may pass over the lug 7 so that the polarized armature 4 may then a swing from one pole-piece to the other.

The terminals 38 and 39 of the polarizing winding 3 are connected respectively with conductors 41 and 42, the connection of terminal 38 with conductor 41 including contact 49 so that this winding is deenergized when neutral armature 6 is open. Conductors 41 and 42 are reversibly connected with the power mains P by the pole-changing contacts 21 and 22 on lever C. The circuit including winding 3 and conductors 41 and 42 will be traced hereinafter. 36 of the winding of electromagnet 2 is connected with negative power main '12, and the other terminal 37 is connected with one or the other of conductors 41 and 42 by contact 24 according as polarized armature 4 occupies one extreme position or the other. This contact 24 is so arranged that when the lever C and the polarized armature 4 occupy corresponding positions, terminal 37 is connected with the conductor (41 or 42) which is then connected with the negative power main 12 by lever C, so that at such times electromagnet 2 is deenergized and armature 6 is therefore in the raised position.

In the drawing I have shown the switch A in what I shall herein term its normal position, and the other parts ofthe apparatus in the positions corresponding to this position of the switch. With the parts in these positions, terminal 37 of electromagnet 2 is connected with the negativemain 12 through wires 41 and 43 and terminal 36 is, of course, connected directly with the negative main, so that electromagnet 2 is denergized and is consuming no current; neutral armature 6 is therefore open, so that polar- One terminal ized armature 4 is mechanically locked against pole-piece 5. The magnetism remaining in core 23 causes armature 4 to be attracted to pole-piece 5, so that this armature is biased to the position shown independently of the locking device 7-8. Contact 49 is open, so that the circuit of the polarizing winding 3 is open and this winding is therefore consuming no current. WVhen it is desirable to move the switch A to its other position, which I will herein term the reverse position, the shaft 7 0 of lever C is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow until the dog 28 of indication device K engages latch 29. This movement of the shaft reverses the position of polechanging contacts 21 and 22 thereby connecting wires 41 and 42 with the positive and negative mains 11 and 12 respectively. Terminal 37 of electromagnet 2 is now connected with positive main 11, the circuit-for the winding of the electromagnet being as follows: from positive main 11 through wire 40, contact 22, wire 41, contact 24, wire 37, coil 2", wire 44, coil 2", wire 36 to negative main 12. The electromagnet 2- is now energized so that it closes the neutral armature 6, thereby unlocking polarized armature 4 and also closing contact 49 and opening contact 45. The closing of contact 49 closes the circuit of polarizing winding 3, which is as follows: from positive main 11, through wire 40, contact 22, wires 41 and 46, contact 49, wire 38, winding 3, wires 39 and 42, contact 21, wire 43 to negative main 12. The current which flows in this circuit is in such direction as to cause polarized armature .4 to be magnetized with polarity opposite to that which was caused by the residual mag netism in the hard steel core 23, so that armature 4 swings over to pole-piece 5", thereby reversing contacts 95, 96 and 24. The current in winding 3 also reverses the po larity of the magnetism in the hard steel bar 23. The reversal of contact 24 causes terminal 37 of the electromagnet 2 .to be connected with conductor 42, which is now connected with the negative main 12 at lever C, so that both terminals of the electromagnet 2 are now connected with the negative main and this magnet is therefore deenergized. The neutral armature 6 then rises, thereby again opening contact 49' and closing contact 45. The opening of contact 49 again opens the circuit of polarizing winding 3, so that this winding again becomes deenergized. Contact 45 now being closed and contacts 95 and 96 reversed, the motor D is energized by the following circuitfrom positive main 11, through wires 47 and 48, contact 96, wire 51, motor armature 13, wire 50, contact 45, wire 55, contact 95, wire 56, contact 33, wires 60 and 61, motor field 14, wire 59, to negative main 12. The motor D is operated by this current in such direction as to actuswitch rails have been locked by the longi tudinalend portion of cam slot 20, contact 33 is reversed in position by cam 31, thereby opening the motor operating circuit at this point so that the motor then stops. At the same time contact 53 is reversed by cam 57, and since contact 52 was reversed by cam 54: at the beginning of the movement, relay Q is now energized through thefollowing circuitfrom positive main 11, through wires 47, 62, and 63, contact 52, wire 64, winding of relay Q, wire 65, contact 53, wire 66 to negative main 12. The direction of current in this circuit is such as to cause the polarized contact 68 of relay Q to swing to the opposite position from that shown in the drawing, so that indication magnet R is now energized through the following circuitfrom positive main 11, through wire 67 neutral contact 58, polarized contact 68, wire 69, contact 25, wire 77, indication magnet R, wires 78 and 4:3 to negative main 12. Magnet R is now energized and raises its latch 29 out of the path of dog 28, so that the movement of lever C may then be continued to the end of its stroke. During this last portion of the movement of lever C, contact 25 is reversed, thereby opening the circuit of magnet R, and contact 26 is also reversed, thereby closing at that point the circuit for magnet N so that the circuit for this magnet may be closed at contact 68 after the switch has been returned to its normal position.

The operation of the apparatus during the movement of the switch A from its reverse to its normal position is similar to that just described' For such movement, the direction of the control current through the polarizing' winding 3 is again reversed by contacts 21 and 22, so that motor control contacts 95 and 96 are then moved back to the positions in which they are shown in the drawing. Motor D is then energized in such direction that it operates to. return the switch A to its normal position. After such movement has been completed the polarized relay Q is energized in such direction that its contact 68 returns to the position in which it is shown in the drawing, so that indication magnet N is then energized thereby permitting the movement of lever C to be completed. It will be noted that contacts 52 and 53 operated by the switch mechanism F con stitute a pole-changer for connecting relay Q with the mains P in one direction or the other according as switch A is in one extreme position or the other,'and for disconnecting this relay from the mains and placing the relay-on short circuit while the switch is being moved.

One important feature of the apparatus embodying my invention is that no current 1s consumed by the electromagnetlc device.

G except when the switch A is about to be moved. But in spite of this, if the neutral armature 6 is raised by hand and the polarized armature 4 reversed in position and the neutral armature again released, the parts will automatically return to their original positions, because terminal 37 of the electromagnet 2 will then be connected through wire 42 with the positive power main 11, so that this electromagnet will be energized and will close its armature 6, thereby closing at contact 49 the circuit of the polarizing winding 3; and since lever C has not been moved to reverse contacts 2122, the winding 3 will be energized in such direction as to cause armature 4 to be attracted to pole-piece 5, so that polarized armature 4 will be returned to its original position. Furthermore, if neutral armature 6 is depressed by hand, polarized armature 4 reversed and neutral armature 6 again raised and held in the raised position by hand so that the switch A is reversed, the parts of the device G will immediately assume their original positions as soon as neutral armature 6 is released, for the reason just explained, so that the switch A will then be returned to its original position. It will be seen, therefore, that the apparatus is absolutely self-restoring.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embody ing my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my i I claim is:

1. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature whose position'depends upon the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a pair of conductors connected with said winding, a source of current, a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with said source, means for connecting one terminal of said electromagnet with one pole of the source, and means controlled by said armature for connecting the other terminal of the electromagnet with one or the other of said conductors.

2. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature whose position depends upon the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a pair of conductors connected with said winding, a source of current, a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with said source, means for connecting oneterminal of said electromagnet withone pole of the source, and means controlled by said armature for connecting the other terminal of the electromagnet with one or the other of said conductors, and a railway trafiic controlling device controlled by said armature.

3. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature whose position depends upon the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a pair of conductors connected with said winding, :1 source of current, a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with said source, means for connecting one terminal of said electromagnet with one pole of the source, and means controlled by said armature for connecting the other terminal of the electromagnet with one or the other of said conductors, and a contact controlled by said electromagnet for controlling the circuit of said polarizing winding.

4. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, anarmature controlled by said winding and by said electromagnet, a pairof conductors connected with said winding, :1 source of current, a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with said source, means for connecting one terminal of said electromagnet with one pole of the source, means controlled by said armature for connecting the other terminal of the electromagnet with one or the other of said conductors, and means controlled by said electromagnet for mechanically locking said armature in either extreme position.

5. Incombination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature whose position depends upon the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a pair of conductors connected with said winding, a source of current, a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with said source, means for connecting one terminal of said electromagnet with one pole of the source, and means controlled by said armature for connecting the other terminal of the electromagnet with one 01' the other of said conductors, the two terminals of the electromagnet being connected with the same pole of the source when thepole-changer and the armature occupy corresponding positions whereby at such times no current is consumed by the electromagnet.

6. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature whose position depends upon the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a pair of conductors connectedwith said winding, a source of current, a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with said source, means for connecting one terminal of said electromagnet with one pole of the source, and means controlled by said armature for connecting the other terminal of the electromagnet with one or the other of said conductors, and a contact controlled by said electromagnet and included in the circuit of the polarizing winding, said conpoles of said electromagnet, a winding'for polarizing said armature, a pair of conductors connected with said winding, a source of current, a pole-changer forreversibly connecting said conductors with said source, means for connecting one terminal of the electromagnet with one terminal of said source, and means controlled by said armature for connecting the other terminal of said electromagnet with one or the other of said conductors.

8. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature whose position depends upon the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a pair of conductors connected with said winding, a source of current, a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with said source, means for connecting one terminal of said electromagnet with one pole of the source, and means for connecting the other.terminal of the electromagnet with one or the other of said conductors.

9. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, a hard steel core in said winding, an armature polarized by said winding and said core and controlled by said electromagnet, a pair of conductors connected with said polarizing Winding, a source of current, a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with said source, means for connecting one terminal of the electromagnet with one terminal of the source, means controlled by said armature for connecting the other terminal of the electromagnet with one or the other of said conductors, and a contact controlled by said electromagnet for controlling the circuit of said polarizing winding.

10. In combination, a relay comprising two windings, said relay being responsive to the relative polarity of said windings, a pair of conductors connected with the said one winding, a source of current, a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with the source, means for connecting one terminal of the other winding with one pole of the source, means controlled by said relay for connecting the other terminal of the latter winding with one of said conductors or the other, and a contact controlled by the last-mentioned winding for controlling the circuit of the first winding.

11. In combination, an electromagnet and a winding, an armature controlled by the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said second armature controlled by said electromagnet and means controlled by said second armature for governing the circuit for the winding.

12. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature polarized by said winding and controlled by said electromagnet, a pair of conductors connected with said polarizing winding, a source of current a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with said source, means for connecting one terminal of the electromagnet with one terminal of said source, means controlled by said armature for connecting the other terminal of said electromagnet with one or the other of said conductors, a neutral armature controlled byv the presence and absence of current in said electromagnet, and a contact operated by said neutral armature for controlling the circuit of said polarizing winding.

13. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature controlled by the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a circuit for said polarizing winding including a source of current and a pole-changer, and means for controlling said electromagnet by said polechanger and by said armature.

1a. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature controlled by the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a circuit for said polarizing winding including a source of current and a pole-changer, means for controlling said electromagnet by said pole-changer and by said armature, a neutral armature controlled by said electromagnet, and a contact operated by said neutral armature for controlling the circuit of the polarizing winding. i

15. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature controlled by the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a circuit for said polarizing winding including a source of current and a pole-changer, means for controlling said electroniagnet by said pole-changer and by said armature, and a railway traflic controlling device controlled by said armature.

16. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature controlled by the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a circuit for said polarizing winding including a source of cur-' rent and a pole-changer, a circuit for said electromagnet controlled by said polechanger and by said polarized armature in such manner that said electromagnet is deenergiz ed or energized according to whether or not the pole-changer and the armature occupy corresponding positions, a neutral armature controlledby said electromagnet, a contact operated by said neutral armature for controlling the circuit for said polarizing winding, and a railway traffic controlling device controlled by said polarized armature and by said neutral armature.

17. In combination, a polarizing winding, a magnet, an armature controlled by the relative polarity of said winding and said magnet, a pair of conductors connected with said winding, a source of current, a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said conductors with said source, a contact included in one of said conductors, and means controlled by said pole-changer and said armature for causing-said contact to be open or closed according to whether or not the pole-changer and the armature are in corresponding positions. 1

18. In combination, an'electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature controlled by said elements and responsive to reversals of current in the polarizing winding, a circuit for said winding including a source of current and a pole-changer, a circuit for said electromagnet controlled by said armature and pole-changer, and means controlled by Said electromagnet for locking and releasing said armature.

19. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing Winding, an armature controlled by said elements and responsive to reversals of current in the polarizing winding, a circuit for said winding including a source of current and a pole-changer, a circuit for said electro-magnet controlled by said armature and pole-changer, a neutral armature controlled by said electromagnet, and means controlled by said armature for locking or vreleasing the polarized armature according as the electromagnet is deenergized or energized.

20. In combination, an electromagnet, a polarizing Winding, an armature controlled by said elements and responsive to reversals of current in the polarizing winding, a circuit for said winding including a source of current and a pole-changer, a circuit for said electromagnet controlled by said armature and pole-changer, and means controlled by said electromagnet for locking and releasing said armature, and for controlling the circuit of said polarizing winding.

21. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature controlled by the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a railway trafiic controlling device controlled by reversals of said armature, a circuit for said polarizing winding comprising a source of current, a lever of an interlocking machine, a pole-changer operated by said lever for reversingthe connection of said source with said wlnding,

and a circuit for said electromagnet con- 'said armature and by said pole-changer, and

means controlled by said electromagnetfor opening the circuit of said polarizing wlnding when the lever and the armature occupy corresponding positions.

23. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature controlled by said elements and responsive to reversals of current in the polarizing winding, a railway traflic controlling device controlled by reversals of said armature, a circuit for said polarizing'winding comprising a source of current, a lever of an interlocking machine, a pole-changer operated by said lever for reversing the connection of said source with said winding, a circuit for said electromagnet controlled by said armature and by said pole-changer, and means controlled by said electromagnet for locking or releasing said polarized armature according as the lever and the armature do or do not occupy corresponding positions.

24. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature controlled by said elements and responsive to reversals of current in the polarizing winding, a railway traflic controlling device controlled by reversals of said armature, a circuit for said polarizing winding comprising a source of current, a lever of an interlocking machine, a pole-changer operated by said lever for reversing the connection of said source with said winding, a circuit for said electromagnet controlled by said armature and by said pole-changer, and means controlled by said electromagnet for locking said armature and for opening and closing the circuit for said polarizing Winding.

25. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature controlled by the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a circuit for said polarizing winding comprising a source of current and a pole-changer, a circuit for said electromagnet controlled by said armature and by said pole-changer, a neutral armature controlled by said electromagnet, and a railway traflic controlling device controlled by said polarized armature and by said neutral armature.

26. Railway traffic controlling apparatus comprising an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature controlled by the relative polarity of said electromagnet and said winding, a pair of conductors connected with said winding, a source of current, a lever of an interlocking machine comprising a pole-changer for reversibly connecting said source with said conductors, one terminal of the electromagnet being constantly connected with one pole of the source, means controlled by said armature for connecting the other terminal of the electromagnet with one or the other of said conductors, and a railway traffic controlling device controlled by reversals of said armature. 1

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I I HOWARD S. BEAKES. Witnesses:

A. L. VnNoILL, A. HERMAN WEGNER. 

